What a way to let people know what is deep down my heart! I will share my views on Chinese metaphysics with my audience without reservation. Please treat this blog as a public park where friends can exchange ideas.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Is Feng Shui Knowledge From God or From Men?

This article was first published in 2001. I have just added a little bit at the end.

Feng Shui masters in the past claimed that they were in possession of the key to read Heaven's will. They always told people that the secret of Heaven should not be disclosed. Jiang Da Hong is famous/notorious for advocating this. Shen Zhu Reng found this most outrageous and battered him and others including Yang Yun Song. That is also why a lot of people hate Shen and say that he did not respect his predecessors.

The mystrious mask of Feng Shui leads to the belief that Feng Shui knowledge was passed on by God (whoever He is) to a selected master. He then passed thisknowledge to his selected disciple and then a kind of lineage is formed. Claimants of being on the lineage also claim, in a way, that they are the sole holders of the key to read Heaven's way.

On the other hand, some people are of the opinion that Feng Shui knowledge was built up bit by bit by wise people in the past. There are great writings by various knowledgeable people although most of these people did not disclose their true identities but rather used the names of legends like Yang Yun Song 楊筠松, Guo Pu 郭璞, Qing Wu Zi 青烏子, Huang Shi Gong 黄石公 or even the Yellow Emperor 黄帝 who got it from the Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens 九天玄女.

The question is what you want to believe. If you believe that Feng Shui is passed on from generation to generation through secretive lineage, then you can only learn from those who claim to be on those family lines. This will have to exclude any line from Shen Zhu Reng because he openly told people that he learned from books.

If you believe that Feng Shui is a living knowledge, then learn whatever is reasonable and has a basis from Feng Shui classics. Do not believe in anything you are taught just because the master says so. Do not believe in anything you read from any book unless you find it reasonable.

It will be chaotic in the beginning. There will be a day in the future when the study of Feng Shui will be like the study of science. People can openly discuss their proposed hypotheses in search for the truth. Until then, you can choose to learn Feng Shui from adogmatic school or to learn it with reasons.

To learn it from a dogmatic school is like walking on a road paved with velvet leading to riches. To learn it the hard way is like climbing a mountain. To be able to reach the top may only be a dream. I bet, most people will follow the schools offering doctrine/dogma. Sad? It is reality. And the reality is what they learn will be (0.9) to the power N of what the original teaching was if one claims to be the Nth generation lineage holder assuming each generation loses 10% of the original teaching , which is a generous assumption already.

If 30 years make one generation, then in 900 years there are 30 generations. Multiply 0.9 by itself 30 time and see what you get.

Do you think they acquired all this knowledge via Meditation and contemplation of nature?I`m not sure. Modern philosophers and meditators don`t seem to be a match for the ancients. Hence my belief in Aliens

The reason modern adepts are no match for the ancients is due to the Kali Yuga. At this time it is much harder to become enlightened. Introspection reveals all, and when we have a science built on thousands of reflections of self, all combined and harnessed into an understanding, we have the basis for metaphysics. Feng Shui and astrology arise after these realisations, as the barriers towards understanding have now been broken down. Knowledge of the stars (astrology)in Chinese metaphysics comes from Daoist astral travel, and not from aliens I believe. The wonders of this planet are more mysterious and exciting than aliens are to me

I believe that the best way to assimilate the information, is first one itself to empty of any information, and by means of the observation to be left to fill and to experience the emotion of every new observed information.

After it, only it depends on one itself that this information transforms in knowledge, and for it I agree totally in that the repeated practice is necessary.

Thanks to the divulgative dedication and the way of educating the pupil in the learning of the Feng Shui, which has so much you as my teachers in Barcelona, the apprentice always finds new challenges and admiration for this science.